What Works Brussels

What Works Brussels

Event Sections

Cities across the world are at the forefront of confronting violent extremism. The Obama administration is making the case in international forums, including the UN General Assembly, that action on violent extremism be localized – that municipalities are in a better position to earn the trust of their communities and make stronger connections with community leaders.

On November 10, 2015 at the Residence Palace, join us for POLITICO Magazine’s What Works event in Brussels — a continuation of an international series of conversations about the future of cities. From countering threats to environmental sustainability to economic viability and jobs, cities are sharing lessons. Where do the best ideas come from and how are they best shared? How can a smarter approach towards immigration, economic stability and job growth prevent threats to cities?

Speakers

Dr Mashuq Ally was appointed Head of Equality and Diversity for Birmingham City Council in May 2005, and in 2014 was appointed Assistant Director, Equalities, Community Safety and Cohesion Service. He is the Operational Lead in the City Council for social cohesion and sits on the Strategic Board for Youth Violence. He is also the City Lead for Tackling Extremism. Ally was the first Head of the Commission for Racial Equality in Wales, Director of the South East Wales Racial Equality Council and advised the National Assembly for Wales on its Race Equality program. He has extensive experience in Inter-Faith work, particularly in the formation of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. He was involved in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim Standing Conference and established the Inter-Faith Council for Wales. He is a regular contributor to BBC Wales Weekend Word and BBC World Service. He is also a member of the Shaikh Zayed Board for Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge.

Hans Bonte, Mayor of Vilvoorde, Belgium

Hans Bonte was elected mayor of Vilvoorde in 2013, the first Social Democratic mayor in 30 years. A few months after taking office as mayor of Vilvoorde, Bonte was confronted with the problem of foreign fighters, an issue which he still grapples with today. In 2007, Bonte was appointed President of the Public Centre for Social Welfare and Alderman of Social Affairs in the city of Vilvoorde. He was responsible for several initiatives on social economy, population aging, community work and pensioners’ policy, opposing the way Citibank granted credit, for instance. Before entering the Belgian House of Representatives in 1995, he worked as a labor and social security expert for the SEVI research institute. When the Belgian airline SABENA went bankrupt, he was appointed Vice President of the parliamentary commission established to investigate the company’s collapse. Bonte studied political science at the University of Ghent and public administration at the Free University of Brussels.

Jan Jambon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Security and the Interior, Belgium

Jan Jambon has been Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Security and Internal Affairs, in charge of State Buildings, since 2014. He is a member of the N-VA, and was a Member of Parliament and Mayor of Brasschat from 2007 to 2014. He began his professional career in 1984 as a systems engineer for IBM, subsequently working for the Sociaal Secretariaat (SD), Mercuri International, Vlaamse Uitgeversmaatschappij and the Bank Card Company among oth-ers. Jambon holds an executive MBA from the University of Antwerp and well as a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from VUB. He is a member of the National Direction and National Board of the N-VA.

Abdi Warsame, Member, Minneapolis City Council

Abdi Warsame is an American politician and a member of Minneapolis City Council where he represents Ward 6. He was elected to the Council in 2013, becoming the first Somali-American elected to the council and the first in the nation to win a municipal election. In the last two years, Warsame has focused on the city’s most pressing issues: jobs, housing, safety and community development. He was invited to the White House where he presented a plan for expanding youth programming, mentoring, higher education, job opportunities and training as avenues for combating violent extremism. Warsame was the founder and spokesperson for the Citizen’s Committee for Fair Redistricting, which lobbied for a more equitable and representative political map of Minneapolis. He grew up in the UK where he obtained his Master’s degree in international business. He moved to Minneapolis in 2006.

Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Tibor Navracsics became European Commissioner in charge of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in November 2014. Before that, in 2014 he was named Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Between 2010 and 2014, he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Justice. From 2006 to 2010, Navracsics was a Member of Parliament and a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional, Judicial and Procedural Affairs. In 2003, he became the Chief of Staff of the President of Fidesz (Hungarian Civic Union). Previously, Navracsics was Head of Department in the Prime Minister’s Office. Before joining politics, Navracsics had a career in academia. From 1997 to 2000, he was the Secretary General of the Hungarian Political Science Association and in 1999 he became Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Budapest’s ELTE University, where he obtained his law degree and Ph.D.
@TNavracsicsEU

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